Qantas has today officially reopened its Hong Kong International Lounge as part of a huge global lounge upgrade program announced earlier this year.

This lounge, originally launched in 2014, was among the most frequented in the Qantas network. But, like many others, it had to shut its doors during the pandemic. Now, it’s back with a fresh face after undergoing a significant makeover.

The new and improved lounge sprawls across a generous 2,000 square meters and now boasts a warmer colour palette and chic new furnishings, courtesy of Australian designer David Caon.

With seating for 290 customers and panoramic views of Hong Kong’s famous Sky Bridge, the lounge is all set to give travellers a comfortable and scenic space to relax.

Qantas’ Creative Director of Food, Beverage and Service, Neil Perry, has crafted a menu featuring local dishes inspired by regional flavours and ingredients.

And for those who fell in love with the Yum Cha trolley from the previous version of the lounge – it’s making a comeback! Get ready to savor some steaming hot dim sum and the much-loved char siu Chinese barbecue pork dish.

As for the drinks, a large bar area will be serving a selection of Australian wines, beer, and spirits. Fancy a cocktail? Neil Perry’s mixologist-designed concoctions like the Chi Chi – a mix of dark rum, pineapple, lime, and vanilla – will be up for grabs.

You can also stay hydrated with Qantas’ Quench hydration station that offers a variety of hot and cold beverages.

For the corporate travelers among us, the lounge’s business zone remains at hand. It is equipped with ample power and data outlets, and high-speed Wi-Fi. So, you can catch up on your emails before you take off.

If you’re more in the mood for some relaxation, freshen up in one of the 12 shower suites stocked with Li’Tya amenities.

Qantas currently operates a daily return flight between Sydney and Hong Kong. From June, Qantas will also reinstate flights between Melbourne and Hong Kong, initially operating three days per week, and then increasing to four weekly services from mid-July.

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Qantas has today launched the first-ever direct flights between Melbourne and Exmouth, on Western Australia’s Coral Coast.

Located around 1,270 kilometers north of Perth, Exmouth is best known as the gateway to the Ningaloo Reef, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This underwater wonderland is home to more than 500 species of fish and over 300 varieties of coral, making it a veritable paradise for snorkelers and divers. Unlike the Great Barrier Reef on the eastern side of the country, the Ningaloo Reef is easily accessible from the shore.

There’s also a lot to see inland, including the Cape Range National Park, where you’ll find breathtaking canyons, hidden caves, rugged limestone ranges and lots of wildlife.

Qantas is operating two return services each week, on Thursdays and Sundays, using a Boeing 737 aircraft, with a flight time of around 5 hours.

It’s not just Victorians who can benefit from the new route by enjoying a warm winter getaway. Coral Coast residents can now also easily access the east coast and connect to Qantas’ vast domestic and international network.

Qantas has a limited number of $399 one-way special fares currently on sale, so snap them up!

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It’s no secret that the middle seat in a row of 3 on an airplane is the last place any traveller wants to be – especially if you’re flying solo.

So it was interesting to see Virgin Australia launch a novel promotion last year called the Middle Seat Lottery, which is intended to make middle seat passengers a little happier about where they ended up.

Basically, the airline turned a boarding pass for one of those dreaded middle seats into a lottery ticket.

Each week, one lucky passenger won a prize, which included such things as platinum status with the airline plus one million Velocity Points, a Caribbean cruise with premium economy airfares, and a Cairns adventure holiday package.

The promotion was due to end this week but Virgin has announced an extension until 9 July.

Some of the new prizes include return airfares to Europe with Qatar Airways, a tropical North Queensland getaway, and return flights to Vanuatu plus 250,000 Velocity Points.

It’s very easy to enter and you should definitely do so if you’re travelling in a middle seat in the coming weeks.

To enter, simply be an Australian resident and Velocity member aged 18+ who is flying in any middle seat, then enter the competition via the Virgin app within 48 hours of your flight time.

You must use the app to enter this competition.

Each time you fly in a middle seat, you’ll be eligible for an entry into that week’s draw.

For more info, visit Virgin Australia here.

Best of luck!

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Good news, Aussie travellers!

The days of printing, filling out, signing, and physically witnessing passport renewal forms are numbered as the federal government looks to shift the passport renewal process online.

The move is part of broader work to enable statutory declarations and deeds to be digitally executed in a consistent manner around the country.

By transitioning from traditional paper-based methods to a digital approach, the government intends to eliminate the need for wet ink signatures and in-person witnesses.

This modernisation will not only streamline passport renewals but also set the stage for additional government services to move online.

The myGov portal, which currently provides just 15 services, will become the central online hub for accessing various Australian government services, including passport renewals.

Since document execution is overseen by the states and territories, the federal attorney-general’s department is working on legislation to establish a consistent nationwide approach.

The completion of legal and development work is expected within the next 12 months. Following this, services that rely on solemn declarations, including passport renewals, will be integrated into the myGov platform.

Users will be required to verify their digital identity using the myGov ID service, managed by the Australian Taxation Office.

Legislation to include state governments and businesses in this identity service is also being prepared.

Modelling suggest that this digital shift will result in significant time and cost savings for small businesses and individuals.

It’s definitely a big win for travellers, who can look forward to fewer of those annoying trips to the post office.

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United Airlines has just announced its biggest South Pacific network expansion in history, connecting the continental U.S. to the region like never before.

The move will see the airline operate a whopping 66 flights between the U.S. and Australia/New Zealand every week next northern winter – an increase of 40%.

The Star Alliance member attributes its successful expansion to strong partnerships with Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia, which provide easy connectivity across the region and reciprocal benefits for frequent flyers.

The expansion will also ramp up competition with Qantas on several routes – which is great news for consumers.

Starting December 1 2023, United will be the first and only carrier to offer nonstop flights between San Francisco and Christchurch, connecting the U.S. directly to the South Island of New Zealand.

The new route will be operated by a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner three times a week.

The airline is set to become the largest U.S. carrier to serve Auckland with four new weekly flights from Los Angeles. The Los Angeles-Auckland route, operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, will commence on October 28 and will complement the airline’s existing San Francisco-Auckland route.

United will also become the largest carrier between the U.S. and Brisbane, with three weekly Los Angeles-Brisbane flights starting on November 29, also on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, and in direct competition with Qantas.

The airline’s existing San Francisco-Brisbane Boeing 787-9 route will become a daily service from October 28, while San Francisco-Sydney on the Boeing 777-300ER will go twice daily, again increasing competition with Qantas.

Lastly, United is boosting capacity between San Francisco and Melbourne from October 28 by switching the aircraft to its largest airplane, the 777-300ER, adding nearly 100 daily seats to each departure.

Virgin Australia Velocity Points can be used to book seats with United.

Reward seats on the new routes are being added to the system and, as usual, economy is easier to find than business class.

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Starting in July, Fiji Airways will be offering direct flights between Canberra and Nadi, providing ACT residents with an easy way to reach the tropical paradise.

With twice-weekly flights on Tuesdays and Fridays from July, the airline plans to increase the frequency to three times a week in October.

This new connection also offers passengers the option to continue on to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver, Honolulu or destinations in the South Pacific.

Fiji Airways will operate the Canberra flights on a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, featuring recliner seats in business class.

These aircraft are becoming available due to the delivery of new A350s, which will fly to North America.

Flight FJ950 will depart Canberra at 1:35 pm and arrive in Nadi at 7:40 pm, while flight FJ951 will depart Nadi at 9:15 am and reach Canberra at 12:20 pm.

Fares are now on sale from as low as $499 return.

All economy fares include meals, beverages, inflight entertainment and carry-on baggage up to 7kg. 

Checked baggage is extra on the cheapest economy fare.

You can earn Qantas Points on paid fares, as well as use points to book seats with the airline.

Flying Canberra-Nadi return will set you back 36,000 Qantas Points in economy or 83,000 in business class, plus $235 in taxes and fees.

To fly to North America, you’ll need 83,800 points in economy or 216,800 in business class for a return fare, plus modest taxes and fees.

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Qantas Frequent Flyer members can no longer earn points when booking restaurants online after the airline ended its partnership with the booking platform Quandoo on 1 April.

The partnership launched 2019 after the previous iteration of Qantas Restaurants was similarly shut down.

The collaboration with Quandoo let Qantas Frequent Flyers earn 100 points per person, per booking across 18,000 restaurant partners in over 12 countries.

This was a popular and very simple way to earn extra points ‘on the ground’.

Now that it’s gone, there’s no other simple way to earn Qantas Points on restaurant bookings.

The only exception is Qantas’ separate partnership with the Seagrass Hospitality Group, which includes restaurants such as The Meat & Wine Co, 6Head, Hunter & Barrel, Ribs & Burgers and Italian Street Kitchen.

There, members can continue to earn up to 3 points per dollar spent.

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